Grain slicing machine



Feb. 21, 1939. T Av McDoNALD, JR., ET AL 2,147,852

GRAIN SLICING MACHINE Filed May 25. 1936 42 Sheets-Sheet 2 lsrmentor 3110111415 A111 "D mulldn E* 3110111115 GJInigIL Gttorneg Patented Feb. 21, 1939 PATE N 'T5 OF 5Fl C EL GRAIN SLIC'ING. MACHINE Thomas A; McDonald, yJr., and Thomas G. Knight, Omaha, Nebr.`

Application May 23,' 1936, Serial No. 81,493`

ZClaims.

'lhis` invention relates to slicingA machinery particularly adapted foruse in thevpreparation of" foodstuffs and more particularly breakfast cereals prepared from small grains;

Itr is an object` of.` the invention to provide means for shaving thin slices from grains of l wheat whichshavings caribe used rapidly, economically and eiiciently for breakfast food purposes. 1U A further object of the invention is to provide means fort shaving slices longitudinally of kernels off wheat wherebysaid slices are of uniform thinness.

Other and further objectsand advantages of the invention will be understood from theA iollowing detailed description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying. drawings in which:

Figure l is a vertical section of a grain shaving machine embodyingthe present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective, fragmentary view, partially in section, of a grain vise plate employed.

Figure 3 is a sectionalview of a portionof a knife plate and an adjustable knife employed, the view being taken online 3-3.of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a top plan viewof the `knife plate.

Figure 5 is a top planrview of the vise plate.

Figure 61is a side elevation partly in vertical section of a modiiiedfiorm ofl the invention.

Referring now to the drawings fora more particular description andrst to Figure l, l indicates a stationary base which may be secured if Ydesired toa door. A vertically disposed standard or axle ll issecured tothe base lilby any 30 suitable. means such' as the screw threads l2.

About. the axle IZ and on top of the base a washer I3. is provided and resting thereon isa ball-race lll'ihaving anti-friction balls I5 which are annularly, disposed about the axles Il and support elongated sleeve I6 having abearing il and a pulley i8, the latter being keyed to said sleeve. An upper bearing I9V isprovided within the sleeve about the axle.` The. upper end of the sleeve isprovided with an annular flange having standing studs 2| which are received within the recesses 22A oa knife plate 23 whereby said plate is removably secured to the sleeve I6.

As best shown in Figure 4, the plate 23 is provided with a plurality of radially disposed, equidistantlyv spaced apart elongated apertures 24, through which., as best shown in Figure 3, cutting knives 25 extend, the latter having sharp slicing s; it and being removably secured by means oi stud bolt, nut and washer assembly 2l, whereby the knives are removable for sharpening purposes and alsoare Vadjustable forpositioning their cutting edges 26 projecting beyond the upper plate surface of the'platec23 a'xpreselected distance sufficient forv regulating the: thickness or thinnessrof-ia slice `removed from arwheat kernel 5 whentheflatter is pressed toward-the knives as later described.

The revoluble knife plate is `formed preferably integral 'with a hub 28 and `:substantially midway between the ends ofthe: hub isprovided-a shoul- 10 der5-29 for supporting an annularly disposedseres ofl anti-friction steelroller balls, 3l), the latter carrying a thrust collar 3|. The member 3| is annularly disposedwitl'r respect to the hub 28 and is provided with a horizontally extending .15 f1ange'32 which supports an elongated cap 33;

The upper. end ofA the hub. 281 is provdedwith a `ball-race 34' which cooperatestwith theupper series of anti-:friction` balls 351m supportingan upperthrust bearing 36, the latter similarly being 20 provided with an annularly and horizontally` disposed ange 31 which carries the upper portion off the `cap33.

The crownofi the `cap 33` is' provided with an. aperture 3l" which is of angular contour inzplan, 25 said; aperture receiving the correspondingly shaped pintle end 38` of the axle Il, said pintle end projecting throughthecrown: ofthe cap and beingprovided withscrew. thread 39 for the reception of* anut or. keeper` 411i whereby the cap 3'3 ismaintained stationary by means of the rectangular. contour in'plan of the member 38,

The cap 33 is provided with an annularly disposedI ange 4| which supports a vise plate 42 -by means of boltsor keepers 43. Between the flange 4| .andthe upper surface of the disc 42 a removable washer 44" is positioned and` it will be understood that thicker or thinner washers may be selectively substituted for the washer 44 for adjusting the mechanism to shave thinner 4o or thicker slices from kernels of wheat as may be preselected and desired by the operator. The arrangement of parts being such that the lower plane surface of the vise plate is maintained in parallelism with and adjacent to the upper plane 45 surface of the knife plate with the cutting edges of the knives disposed between said surfaces.

Asbest shown in Figure 5, the vise disc 42 is provided with a plurality of radially disposed elongated apertures 45, one of the longer side walls of whichvis inclined as indicated at 46 for purposesv later described.

As best shown in Figure 2, the lower plane surface'l ofthe vise plate 42 adjacent each aperture 45 thereof is providedwith aplurality of elongated slots 48 having open ends 49 in alignment with the Wall 5U of the aperture 45 whichjs oppositely disposed from the beveled wall 46 thereof, said wall being preferably formed at a right angle with respect to the surface 41 of the vise plate 42, said ends 49 being in communcation with the apertures 45. The walls of the slots 48 taper or converge from their wider open ends 49 toward their restricted ends and terminate iiush with the plane surface 41 of the vise plate and in alignment therewith for purposes later described.

About the perimeter 5| of the vise disc or member 42 and secured to the surface thereof by any suitable means such as the screws or keepers 52 an annularly disposed and upwardly projecting collar 53 is provided having an open top which cooperates with the upper surface of the vise disc 42 in providing a hopper or grain reservoir.

rIhe pulley Wheel I8 is provided with a belt, not shown, the latter being driven by and in communication with any suitable source of power such as a motor or the like.

In operation kernels of Wheat or the like or material to be shaved or sliced is poured or placed into the hopper 54, said kernels being communicated to the apertures 45 as preceding kernels become sliced.

The knife disc is caused to revolve in the direction of the arrow 55 shown in Figure 4, whereby the cutting edges 26 of the knives 25 move past the vise slots of the vise disc from the wider open ends thereof toward the restricted ends thereof.

It will be understood that said open ends of the vise slots are slightly greater in area than a conventional sized kernel of wheat in diameter whereby said kernels become presented longitudinally to the cutting knives, the sides of the kernel abutting the side walls of a slot 48 and being slidable in a slot during the shaving operation.

In operation the weight of the vise plate 42 presses the kernels of Wheat towards the cutting edges of the knives and as the latter revolve said edges shave off a slice from each kernel, said slices falling through the apertures 24 of the knife plate 23 and are gathered in suitable containers, not shown, placed under the device,

As each slice is cut from a kernel of wheat and as soon as the cutting blade passes said kernel the latter becomes moved or pushed rearwardly of the tapered slots 48 between the convergent walls thereof by the next subsequent knife stroke and resultant from the direction of travel of said blade toward the restricted end of a slot. The revoluble knives are applied to a kernel of wheat as soon as the latter lodges in a slot 48 and as each succeeding knife stroke or knife edge contacts a kernel a slice is cut therefrom, the contour and formation of said slots being such that a shaved kernel is pressed towards the knives as each slice is removed until each kernel is completely cut into thin slices.

As best shown in Figure 2 the oppositely disposed walls of each vise slot at their juncture with the surface of the vise-plate converge toward each other at said restricted ends and preferably meet midway of the transverse width of each slot as shown in said figure providing a semi-oblate-spheroid shape in plan for the restricted ends of each slot, said shape being complementary to the form of an end portion of a kernel of wheat which, in conjunction with the tapering shape of the roof of each slot, provides a means for holding fractionated portions of wheat kernels in said vise-slots while said portions are successively shaved until the said portions are of a thickness substantially equal to the distance between the cutting edges of the knives and the adjacent surface of the vise plate, said tapering shape of the roof of said vise-slots being illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2 and a full line in Figure 6.

Referring toy the modification shown in Figure 6, the latter contains a base I0 and a horizontally disposed axle or shaft Il', pulley wheel I8', pillow or bearing blocks Il' disposed at each end of the shaft H; a hopper 54 having an inclined bottom 54" and a revoluble knife disc 23' secured to the shaft II.

Referring to the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 6 said modification also contains a plurality of tapered slots 48', the larger open ends of which are in communication with a hopper and the operation of the modification is the same as heretofore described, adjustment for governing the thickness of a slice is provided by means of the slots 48' being formed in a slidable block ormember 80, the latter being positioned between 'suitable guides and said block is adjustable horizontally for regulating the thickness of a slice by means of a set screw 6| having a lock nut 62. The inner end of the set screw is provided with an annularly disposed groove 63 within which is received a pin 64 carried by the block and it will be understood that the operator by adjusting the set screw El simultaneously may selectively regulate the distance that the slots 48 are disposed from the cutting edges of the knives for governing the thickness or thinness of a slice of material.

It will be understood that while we have speciiically described shaving slices from kernels of wheat that the foregoing described mechanism is equally adapted to shave substantially any substance within its capacity including foodstuffs such as beans, rice and the like having an Oblatespheroid shape, it only being necessary to increase the transverse width of the vise-slots to accommodate said cereals.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for removing thin longitudinal slices from wheat and similar shaped grains, a horizontally disposed vise disc having a radially disposed elongated aperture and a plurality of parallel tapering grooves of U-shape in cross-section in its lower face having their larger end open and terminating in one long Wall of said elongated aperture and communicating with said aperture, said grooves extending normal to said wall and being of a width to accommodate said grains in lengthwise position only, the opposite long wall of said elongated aperture being inclined downwardly towards the open ends of said grooves, means for supplying grains to said aperture, and means cooperating with said inclined wall of said aperture for forcing the grains into said grooves in intertting wedging relation and for slicing off thin slices from the grain wedged in each groove.

2. A machine for removing thin slices from small grains comprising a base support, a vertically disposed shaft having an end secured to the support, a knife-plate having a sleeve eX- tending toward said base and a hub upstanding therefrom, said knife-plate, sleeve and hub being axially disposed for revolvable movements about said shaft, a cap secured to the free end of the shaft, said cap having a wall annularly disposed about said hub, a vise-plate rigidly secured to said cap-Wall, a collar perimetrioally disposed With respect to said vise-plate and upstanding therefrom for providing a hopper between said vise-p1ate and cap-Wall, means secured to the 5 sleeve for imparting revoluble movements to the knife-plate in one direction, and bearing means surrounding said shaft, supported by said hub and engaging said cap for maintaining said plates in slighty spaced apart parallelism with respect to each other.

THOMAS A. MCDONALD, JR. THOMAS G. KNIGHT. 

